During the semester students will select a project that will be located in the historic city center of Urbino, Italy. The project will be the restoration of a historic monument, which, in turn, will be utilized as a contemporary building.

The way in which the project will be accomplished will be inspired by the work of famous architect Giancarlo De Carlo in Urbino. De Carlo’s restoration work on historic buildings in Urbino have always respected the traditional urban morphology and the surrounding landscape.

At the beginning of the semester architects Monica Mazzolani and Antonio Troisi will introduce students to the life and work of architect Giancarlo De Carlo. The architects will academically guide the students on the creation of their projects by visiting some of the most important buildings that De Carlo re-designed, this way the students will better understand the concept behind “re-using” historic space.

Every three weeks studio reviews will be conducted on the development of the student projects. Studio critiques will be conducted through a revision of lessons and work-in-progress concepts. The culmination of the work will be a complete design project, which will be presented publically at the City of Urbino at the end of the semester.

Students will learn to understand the morphology of the historic city, it’s language and the different historical layers, utilizing their own experience combined with what they learn to develop their own interpretation of the selected site. This opportunity will be a “direct” experience to develop a project in a very unique historic context considering the modern use of space over time and how it will function in the future.

MTaA Architecture studio- Partners

Architects Monica Mazzolani and Antonio Troisi started working with Giancarlo De Carlo after they graduated in 1987 until they became partners of the De Carlo Studio. In 2002 they formally created Studio Giancarlo De Carlo and Associates, in Milano, Italy.

Since 2005 both architects continue working with the objective to conclude the cycle of all work-in-progress, past and resent that was inherited from Giancarlo De Carlo.

By the end of 2005 both Mazzolani and Troisi expanded their studio to MtA and Associates, with the larger objective to work in both architecture research and urban design, utilizing a work method that takes into consideration the physical, technological and social context of a particular place and space. Their main objective is to experiment with technology and incorporate innovative, sustainable solutions to their designs.

MtA Studio works in diverse sectors and scales from re-designing large historic buildings of architectural importance to designing new urban and naturalistic spaces that our conscious of the surrounding territory and the character of the landscape.

MtA Studio has worked in numerous important projects, including the requalification and restoration of waterfront projects in several Italian cities. In addition to the working extensively at the Emirati Arabi and in the Oman re-designing abandoned projects of large scale for use of public space, social housing, schools, Etc.

Both architects work closely with several Italian and foreign Universities, they hold seminars and workshops and have published material containing research conducted in studios with international students.